Permanent Residency in Kazakhstan: 174 Occupations

Kazakhstan is preparing a significant expansion of the list of professions whose representatives can obtain permanent residency through a simplified procedure. The corresponding draft order has already been submitted for public comment. ImiDaily reported on this recently.

In this article, we’ll explain which industries the updated list will cover, how to apply for a permit, and what conditions apply to foreign specialists.

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How many professions will be included in the list for permanent residence in Kazakhstan?

The list of professions that grant foreigners the right to permanent residence in Kazakhstan is set to expand from 51 to 174 positions. The draft order was prepared by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. The document was published on September 21 on the “Open NPA” portal, and comments are being accepted until October 6. The expanded list will take effect once the order is adopted.

The draft amends Order No. 49, which in 2023 approved the current list and the rules for its formation. According to the ministry, the new list was compiled taking into account the needs of the national economy and its priority sectors. The full text of the list is not available on the portal. In response to a question from one of the commenters, the ministry explained that currently only the main points of such drafts are published there.

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Which professions are in demand in Kazakhstan: sectors on the new list

The new list will include specialists from sectors on which Kazakhstan’s economy depends and where there is a shortage of qualified personnel. The ministry attributes the proposed changes to the shortage of specialists in these sectors, according to the Kazakhstani publication Tengrinews. According to the publication, the updated list will include professions in the following fields:

• medicine;
• engineering and construction;
• digital technologies;
• energy;
• transportation;
• agriculture;
• education;
• other sectors.

Many of the 51 professions on the current list relate to digital technologies—ranging from software developers to cloud computing specialists. The list also includes medical professionals, such as neurosurgeons, a number of engineering specialties, and creative professions, such as video editors.

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How can you obtain a permanent residence permit in Kazakhstan for a high-demand profession?

Regulations issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs provide for a simplified procedure for obtaining a permanent residence permit for foreigners in high-demand professions, specifically for citizens of Lithuania, Romania, and Moldova. This is based on the visa for individuals in high-demand professions, introduced by a law passed in 2024. According to Article 7 of the Law on Population Migration, the holder of such a visa must apply to the internal affairs authorities for a residence permit.

The applicant must also submit a recommendation from the relevant sectoral government agency. This document must specify:

• the applicant’s occupational group in accordance with Kazakhstan’s National Classification of Occupations;
• confirmation that the applicant meets the classifier’s requirements regarding profession, qualification level, diploma, work experience, and qualifications.

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Financial Capacity and Conditions for Maintaining a Permanent Residence Permit

Foreign nationals in in-demand professions are not required to prove financial capacity. This exemption is provided for in Article 49 of the Law on Population Migration. The exemption will apply to every profession added to the list under the new draft. However, a permit issued based on this list may be revoked. The grounds for revocation will be a lack of employment in the specified profession for 183 days within any 12-month period from the date of issuance.

How many foreigners hold permanent residence permits in Kazakhstan?

There is no published data on the number of permits issued under the list of professions since 2023. The ministry has also not estimated how many foreign specialists will be covered by the expanded list. According to information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs cited by Tengrinews, as of March 1, 2026, there were 241,000 foreigners with permanent residence in Kazakhstan. However, these statistics do not break them down by the grounds for obtaining that status.

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Digital Nomads Residency: Permanent Residence Permit for IT Specialists

Foreign IT specialists can apply as part of the “Digital Nomads Residency” pilot project
. Each application is reviewed by the Astana Hub technology park in the capital, after which the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development determines whether the candidate meets the requirements for the in-demand IT profession. Upon successful review, the applicant submits an online application for preliminary approval of a permanent residence permit.

As of August 2026, 250 IT specialists had received permanent residence permits under this program, according to The Astana Times, citing Astana Hub. In total, the pilot project and the related Digital Nomad Visa program received 1,517 applications from 71 countries, and the number of permits issued under both programs reached 1,069. Astana Hub emphasizes that submitting an application does not guarantee a positive decision, as the final decision is made by government authorities.

Decree No. 1242: New Visas for Qualified Specialists

Presidential Decree No. 1242 of April 25 is cited among the legal grounds for the draft order. The document gives the government until the end of 2026 to reform the investment climate and attract qualified foreign specialists. The decree groups existing visas into three categories. One of them is the skilled worker visa for specialists in in-demand professions included in a government-approved list.

The decree also introduces the “Altyn Visa” for participants in the investment tax residency program of the Astana International Financial Center. Holders of this visa and their family members will be exempt from personal income tax, property tax, and land tax. The Ministry of National Economy has already prepared the relevant amendments to the Tax Code.

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Visit World’s Job Guide: How to Prepare for Work in Kazakhstan?

The expansion of the list of professions opens up new opportunities for foreign specialists to relocate to Kazakhstan. The work guide from the Visit World portal will help you prepare for employment in advance. It will be useful for specialists who are considering working in Kazakhstan in a high-demand profession and plan to apply for a permanent residence permit in the future.

Order the work guide for Kazakhstan on Visit World and plan your move with a clear understanding of the requirements!

Reminder! In our previous article, we discussed quotas for foreign workers in Kazakhstan for 2027.

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Checklist for obtaining a visa and necessary documents in Kazakhstan;

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